


Things We Lost In the Fire

by Fiachra



Series: Metamorphosis [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Dragons, Gen, I accidentally made myself sad, Just let the biologists do their science, Star Wars Dragon AU, Star Wars Shapeshifter AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-07-18
Packaged: 2018-12-03 22:31:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11541765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fiachra/pseuds/Fiachra
Summary: He used to have it all. A friend, a brother. Now all he has are bittersweet memories and a burden he is unwilling to pass on.





	Things We Lost In the Fire

It wasn’t until sometime after Qui-Gon’s death that Obi-Wan discovered what his new Padawan could do.

It would be an understatement to say that the Council’s reaction was mixed. Wonder, awe and fear were just three of the emotions expressed. Yoda, however, was silent.

Word spread throughout the Temple like dragon fire. Obi-Wan could barely train Anakin without a curious gaggle of observers desperate to see the slave child from Tatooine who possessed an ability not seen in over a thousand years (now, there _had_ been a Knight years ago who could become a nexu, but that paled in significance next to a dragon shifter).

Eventually, the novelty wore off, and everyone drifted back to their daily lives (the xenobiologists were the last to go, the dragon Force users could very rarely become seemed to be a virtually unknown species, and they’d be damned if Obi-Wan was going to stop them from having a good look).

For Obi-Wan too, being trailed by a small dark brown and russet dragon became the least of his worries. Anakin was strong in the Force, a natural with a lightsaber, but had an emotional streak Obi-Wan feared he’d never bring under control.

_How right you were…_

Anakin was good enough with his swordsmanship that he rarely fought in his other form, but when he did he was terrifying. In his other form, Anakin was large and powerful, but scarily agile and quick. There were several occasions when he roared into battle that Obi-Wan found himself pitying their adversaries.

It wasn’t always like that though.

There were many days when he found Anakin on the floor with Ahsoka, rumbling with laughter as he let her pin his muzzle to the ground with her foot, talons harmless by his side, a tiny kitten playing fearlessly with a tiger.

Obi-Wan never liked flying, but he had to admit that flying with Anakin when necessary wasn’t an entirely unpleasant experience. That is, unless Ahsoka was with them and decided to taunt Anakin into performing as many aerial manoeuvres in quick succession as he could.

“Come on Skyguy, you can do better than that!” she’d cry while Obi-Wan squeezed his eyes closed to at least avoid seeing the world spinning around him as Anakin rolled.

***

Seeing Anakin’s son pass over him stirred surprisingly strong emotions in his chest. He cloaked himself in the Force as Luke alighted on a nearby outcrop.

“Bit late for you to be out isn’t it young Luke? The desert is dangerous even for you.”

Luke tore his gaze from the stars and jumped, shrinking down into his human form. “How did you know it was me?”

_Your father watched the stars with the same expression once. When we were in the field and he’d let me rest against his side and we’d talk, just talk._

“There aren’t many folk around here that can become dragons.”

Luke hung his head. “I thought I was being careful.”

“No one would believe an old man like me, don’t worry. The stars are beautiful tonight aren’t they?”

Luke tilted his head back, his self-reproach gone. “It’s why I sneak out. It’s the closest I get to getting off this rock.”

Obi-Wan sighed when Luke leapt into the air and vanished into the desert night.

_Soon…_

He would make his presence known when he sensed Luke fly past. Sometimes he would just raise his hand in greeting, and the boy would loop gracefully in return. Sometimes Luke landed, and they would talk briefly, but not of what Obi-Wan knew they must in years to come.

_Not yet, he’s too young…_

***

“I was a Jedi Knight, same as your father. He was the best star pilot in the galaxy, a cunning warrior and a good friend. He was also a shapeshifter. Some called him the Dragon Knight.”

The boy looked like he’d been given the best gift in the galaxy. “My father was like me? I was never told that.”

“No, I don’t suppose you were.”

Luke didn’t even bat an eye at the revelation that his father was a Jedi, Obi-Wan suspected it was because a small part of him had always known.

“How did my father die?”

_The creature pacing before Obi-Wan wasn’t the Anakin he knew, brown scales slowly being obscured by the blackness that clung to him like spilt oil._

_This wasn’t his apprentice, his friend, his brother, this was darkness and hate incarnate, with eyes burning with the fury of the lava around them._

_Anakin turned to face him and snarled. Obi-Wan tightened his grip on his lightsaber. Anakin chuckled darkly before becoming human and drawing his own weapon._

“A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine before he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights. He betrayed and murdered your father.”

***

Yellow eyes burn in his nightmares. A massive creature stalks him in the shadows, its steps heavy, its breathing rasping in its chest. Blood stains its teeth. It is vaguely familiar, which makes it all the more horrific.

 _No, he is not ready._ I _am not ready._

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Bastille's song of the same name


End file.
